Continuous wireworking machine



J an. 9, 1923.

C. H. OSLNUND.

CONTINUOUS WIREWORKING MACHINE.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FILED APR. 6, 1921..

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CONTINUOUS wmEwoRKlNG MACHINE.

FILED APH- 6,1921. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor (Shade/5 H. C62/Lm@ Jan. 9, 1923. LMLTM. c. H. OSLUND.

CONTINUOUS WIREWORKING MACHINE.

FILED APR.6,1921. 4 SHI-:msnsnam 3.

Jan. 9, 1923. 1,441,707. C. H. OSLUND.

CONTINUOUS WIREWORKING MACHINE.

FILED ^PR.6,1921. 4 sHnts-sHEm 4.

f n ai ir E 'STATES mit prima TENT" CMAEEEs E. osrnnn, or woECEsTEE', MASSACHUSETTS, Assrenon To TEcEo AME .r- MACHINE COMPANY, or woEoEsTEE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CCEECEATTCE or MASSACHUSETTS.

v GONTJINUOUS -WllRElWOR/KING MACHNE.

Application 'lled April 56,\1\921.. Serial to.`459,027.

To aJZZ lwhom 'it may concern.'

Be itknown that ll, CHARLES H. SLUND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and.

lState of Massachusettshave invented a new and-useful Continuous Wireworking Machine," of which the following isa specification. A 'This invention relates to the wire working art. lt is capable of use for the drawing and rolling of wire and rods in a heated conditionbut is especially designed for the manipulation of the metal in a cold state.

The principal object of thepinvention is 'to provide a' continuous machine in which the several rolls or drawing drums will be driven positively, at all times and yet the increase of drag on any'roll or drum of the machine will be .compensated for automatically and' instantly. By providing a positive drive and doing away with frictional constructions l am enabled to draw wire in a con-l tinuous manner through any desired n umber of dies', and roll it continuously through a plurality of'pairs of rolls thus greatly reducing the expense of the operation and the amount of machinery and Hoor spacerequired. Uther features of advantage will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accomp-anying drawings in which- Fig. l is a plan of a continuous wire drawing machine constructed in accordance with this invention designed for operating four wire drawing drums;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of i the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a part of the mechanism; Y A

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. `1 showing the invention arranged for operation with six wire drawing drums;

Fig. 5 is aplan of a rolling mill with a practical embodiment of this invention applied thereto; v

Fig. 6 is an end view of the same, and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 7 in Fig. 5 and showing the wire or rod guide in section.

As is well known, the drawing of w1re through dies by the use of a corresponding vance that it meets.

number of drums on which the wire i's wound 1s a process that, for large sizes of wire at least, is usually carried out by means of a', separate machine or section for each drum andl die. The reason for this1is lthat on 'account of extremely slight variations. in the quality of the wire,- and the we armg of the dies the drums are not required to rotate at exactly the same speed at all times and if they di'd they would result in many breakages of the wire. It is not possible, either,1to figure out mathematically the exact ratio between the speeds .of the different drums necessary to compensate for the slightly differing sizes of the dies operating on the wire being run through in a continuous process.

Une of the problems that has resultedin s the expenditure of perhaps the greatest amount of money and inventive genius in the wire drawing'industry is to provide a continuous cold drawing machine suitable for large sizes of wire and capable of auto-y matically compensating for the difficulties aboveV mentioned. y

By my invention I have provided a positive acting means by which any one of the series of wire drawing drums can automatically rotate slower than the rest or slower that its normal speedv practically at all times in order to compensate for any resist- At the same time the mechanism is of such a nature that it can be located in a casing entirely below the drums away from the heat which is set up on their surfaces by the wire drawing operations. Furthermore, the mechanism can be located inv a big oil pocket at the bottom andlubricated by running constantly in oil, thus being capable of running practically indefinitely without reoiling.

Many similar difiiculties in continuous rolling are overcome in a similar way as will appear.

In the form shown 'in the first two sheets lf have illustrated a wire drawing machine in which there are threek drawing-through drums l0 and the usual winding drum 11. These receive the wire through the dies in thedie holders 12 in the usual way and can be geared to the same circumferential speed or .to a *gradually* increasing .speed if desired. These drums, as is usual, are ymounted on four vertical shafts 13 extending down .into a casing 14.

The whole device is shown aS dr1ve n` l0yl an electric motor 15, although any driving' means may be: employed. The motor drlves..

positively a. shaft 16 located vat the bottom of the-casing.- This shaft is shownas pro- 'i each meshing with a gear 18 mounted freely vided with two pinions 17 of the same size,

' on the hubof a ratchet wheel32 which is located on a longitudinal shaft .20 and keyed thereto. These -two shafts are 1n alignment with each other and abut substantially together at their adjacent ends but are capable i ,of .rotating separately.

On the shaft 16 is a third driving gear 33, larger than the pinions 17, and meshing with a gear 34. The gear-34v1s smaller than the gears 18 and constitutes means for drlving a differential by which the shafts 20 are driven in a manner to be described morevindetail below. Itis necessary, in accordance with this invention, to provide for constantly driving both of these shafts 20 at the'same speed through the gears 33 and 34 andthedifferential, whensubjected 18 whenever the resistance varies,'all drivincreasing diameter from one end of the 4to the same resistance, and to .drive them at different 'speeds through the gears 17 and ing operations bein positive.

If this invention is applied to a two drum machine, each ofthe drums, and therefore each of the two vertical shafts 13 in that case, will be geared to one of the shafts. 20.`

In the form shown, however, I have illustiated each of these shafts 2O as serving the" same purpose as the shaft 16, namelyy to transmit power constantly to another shaft.

"Therefore, each of the shafts 20r is provided with a pair of pinions 21 of the-same size/meshing with two gears 22 of equal diameter. These two gears 22 run'loosely on the two shafts 23 which are located in alignment-with each other. Each of the shafts 23 is provided with a bevel gear 24 which meshes with a bevel gear 25 on the bottomof one of the shafts 13. In the form shown these bevel gears24 areof gradually machine to the other fol.` the purpose of pro-.

` viding for increased speedof the wire as it is drawn. The gearing on both sides of the machine in connection with the shafts 23 at the right and left is the same, 'as is .the gearing used 4in connection withthe` shafts 20 at the center in the. form illustrated. A l

Each gear 22 is provided with a lpawl., ar-

here

rangement, in 'this case shown as a pair of.

pawls 30, each pressed by a spring as 31 against the surface of a ratchet wheel 32. Each ratchet wheel is positively fixed to the shaft 23 and -if for any reason the pawls `the wheel theywill positive pinion 21 'drives the y a speed and the mechanism which will now,A

` the respective pinions 21 and 17.

ion. in each case, meshes with -a gear 34 .are caused to positively engage the teeth of y drive the shaft 23.` However, in ordinary' operation the ear 22 at la certain be describ'eddrives the shaft v23I at a higher speed so that normally these pawls donot drive. anything. It is to beunderstood that the pawls are located on all four of the gears 22 and on .the `two gears 18 and vin each case they turn in the same direction, that is, forwardly.

On each of the. shafts 20,l and also on the "j shaft 16' as stated'above, there is another pinion 33 keyed to the shaft and lar er than is pin- -which isa part of a differential.. On account of the relative sizes ofthe pinions mentioned the gear 34 rotates faster than the gear 220i' gear 18 under normal conditions. The gear 34 is fixed to acasin which is mounted to rotate in ball bearings lcarried by brackets-36 on" the "frame, preferably supported fromv the base thereof.'

This casing carries a pair of transverse studs 37 in central alignment .with eachother and transverse1 tothe two shafts` 23 or 20 as the lcase maybe. 'On'each ofA these l.studs 37 is a bevelgear 38 and each of these bevel gears meshes withtwobevel gears 39 located opposite each other xed to the respectiveshafts 2310i 20.* 1

ferential vcommonly used in automobiles and This willbe recognized as an ordinary difl in variousl other arts. The rotation of thev 7 gear 34 at a'speed greater than the gears 22 rotation of each of these drums land this' driving mechanism is constant normally but en-the'resistance is the.

rotation-,of these two pinlons 38. n

let it begpresumed that an increase in drag .occurs on one of them, as for example, let us .say` on the last drum to the left inv Figs.v 1 andj2. This might be caused by an increase inthe .diameter of the wirecoming to it,v due to faulty drawing in the previous machine, or to a hard spot in the' wire or lack of ,properlubrication Now the result of, this dragis to put an unusual resistance on the drum and tend to retard the rotation of the first shaft 23 and the smallest bevel pinion 24, inasmuch as the last spur gear 22 at the left is the one relied upon for driving this drum in quesmame? tion. s It is to be noted that during the normal. operationthe ratchet wheels 32 keyed on the shafts 23 have been rotating faster` than these gears 22 which carry the pawls 30. 'llhese pawls therefore, have performed no function, but have simply been rotating idly at a faster speed and therefore slipping over the-teeth of the ratchet wheel. Now the retarding of this left hand shaft 23 resultsin the shifting of the differential in a manner that is well understood in the art. drives the left hand shaft 23, it allows the right hand shaft 23 to go more rapidly. The gear 22 on theleft continues to rotate at its normal and ordinary speed while the shaft 23 tends to slow up.v

rlhe result is that the ratchet pawl 30 on that gear, which under normal circumstances performs no function, will catch up with the slower rotating ratchet vwheel 32 and drive it positively at a lower speed than normal. This action will continue aslong as the drag is not compensated for but as.

soon as the diiculty stops the gear 34 will immediately take up the load and rotate both shafts 23 faster than the gear 22 and the teeth of the ratchet wheel 32 will immediately be seen to draw away forwardly from' the pawls 30 so that they again will continue to rotate idly over the teeth of the wheel y32. This is the normal operation.

Although I have described the operation of the `left hand section and indicated how the parts drive the left hand drum 10 in case of difficulty, it is to be understood that all the shafts 23 and both of the shafts 20 are operated and controlled in exactly the same way.

I have shown in Fig. 4 a plan of a machine for driving six drums in the same way. InA

this case the changes are comparatively immaterial. The shafts 20 are merely lengthened out and driven in the same way as before. In this case they do not directly support the spur pinions which drive the differentials and the drums directly, but they are provided with a gear 41 which, in turn, meshes with a pinion 44 on an intermediate shaft 42. This shaft 42 is provided with four pinions 43 of one size and smaller than the pinion 44, the large pinion meshes directly with the gear 34. The two final drivingshafts 23 are connected by an interme-v diate shaft 45 having two pinions 46 of the same size,'one of which receives power from the shaft 23 through the gear 47, and the other of .which drives at the same speed the other gear 34. In other words, twodifferentials 35 are used, one for driving one drum and the shaft 45, and the other for driving two drums. 0n account of the use of a well known form of di'erential or any equivalent thereof, no time is lost in resetting the parts or allowing them to get into position While the differential still positively for normal operation. This description refers to the driving of the two shafts 20 and it will be obvious that the same operation takes place in driving either of the two pairs of shafts 23 from the shaft 20.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 the two vshafts 20 are driven inthe same way as in' Figs. 1 and 2. Each one of them also drives a 'shaft 42 at a constant speed through the gears 41 and pinions 44 keyed to this shaft. 'llhe 'several gears- 22, four of which are shown in each half of the machine, are thus driven positively just the same as the gears 22 -in the other figures. I-Iowever, the gear 41 and loose pinion 44 drive. a left hand di'erential gear 34 at a higher speed just as the diderential gear 34 is driven in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the right hand differential gear 34 is also positively driven at this higher speed through the gear 47 and' the shaft 45 and gears 46. rTherefore, each one of the three shafts connected with the bevel ygears 24 to be operated-thereby is controlled automatically in the same way as described above in connection withthe lfour drum construction.

It is to be observed that I have provided` a construction in which all the shafts' in either form shown can be arranged in a pla-ne at a low level in the bottom of the casing 14 and that all the differentials and v other gears on these shafts can run in a bath ing-through drums containing the driving gearing.

In the form of the invention shown in the last sheet it is applied to a rolling mill for the purpose of rolling rods or wire, and I have shown it in connection with two pairs of rolls. It is tobe understood, however, 'that it can be expanded in manners indicated in the other figures to apply to a larger number. substantially the same as shown in Fig. 1 having a motor 15 driving a shaft 16 on which are three gears. rlfwo of these gears 17 are -of small size, and one gear 33 is of larger size. They mesh respectively with gears 18 and 34. y

Each of these gears 18 is provided with a ratchet arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the details of which will not be described again. The-two gears 13 are loose on two shafts 20 which are connected by a differential shown as *of the same type ,as in the other figures. rIhese two shafts deliver power to bevel gears 50, each of which drives In this form the arrangement is difficulties with continuous `-rolling mill con--y struction have been very s'lmllar those encountered in connectionl wlth continuous wire.

slow up for a short period and be driven v the resistance encountered by each individual pair of rolls.

a shaft 51 havingvon ita gear 52 driving gear 53 of the same size on' a parallel shaft/l.

0n thetwo shafts 51 and 54 arethe rolls 55 between which the wire is drawn.' The two rolls of a pair, of course, will rotate at the same speed, but thejspeeds `of the rolls of the two pairs will change-automatically- 'as in the caseof the drawmgmachi'ne.

In this case, the wire is taken from' a drum 156, between the-first two rolls 55 throughfa guide 57, then between the second pair of rolls 55 and delivered.

The results and advantages are substantially the same as indicated above, as the drawing apparatus. In this construction I am enabled to drive each pair of rolls-positively at all. times andV yet, in case of resistanceencountered by one pair, they can at a lower .speed but still positively. The wearing out of the surface of friction driving devicesI is of course eliminated andthe impossibility ofproperly lubricating such frictional 'driving devices does not arise. The drive is always positive and the changes take place automatically in accordance with The provision of a separate shaftfor driving each pair of drawing-through drums or each pair of couples of rolls is an important feature of this invention. In that way each of these separate shafts 20, 42 or 45 can be driven in connection with another through an additional differential. Or, if only two pairs 'of rolls are being driven, the separate shaft, as 16 in Fig. 5, will be driven ositivelyjust as the first shaft 16 vis in the other forms. This is an improvement over the driving of all the diderentials in a single series, because in that case all the resistance i would have to be borne by the first one. That would prevent that one -working easily. If too much total resistance were encountered all along the `line the first difmodifications` can be made in the details ,of

ferential would be likelyto work so hard as to cause breaks in the wire, particularly if fine'wire were beingdrawn.'

It is to be understood, of course that this invention is not limited to the driving of any particular number of drums or rolls nor to the particular kind of differential illustrated. I am aware of the fact also thatmany other construction ofthe parts without departing from the Ascope of the invention as expressed' in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited in these respectsbut What I do claim is:

` l. In a wire working machine, the combination of a set of rotary devices for hanthrou hv the differentml.

-.dling af single length Qof wire and delivering vit frompone to another in a'continuous manner, a separate shaft for driving. each of Asaid devices positivel a wheel loose on each of said separate sha s, a differential direct- .ly connected to twoof said shafts, means for t driving said differential at a' higher speed than thatl of the separate shafts, and means' connected `with'said wheels for picking up and lpositivelyl driving their respective shafts therefrom at a lower speed, whenever they meet resistance enough 4to slow them down 2.' n'v a wire working machine, the combination of a pair of rotary devlces for handllng a wire 1n a continuous manner, a sepa "rate shaft for driving each of said devices positively, athird shaft, means for driving' the third shaft positively, a gear loose on y'each of saidv separate shafts, a differential connected-with said separate shafts, means connected with the third shaft for positivel driving said gears and for driving said difseparate shafts w1ll be driven by the differential normally and positively, and means connected with said gears for picking up and positively driving their respective shafts at a lower speed, whenever they encounter abnormal resistance.

'3. In a wire drawing machine, the'v combination with a set of drawing-throughdrums, and shafts therefor,vofl means .for rotatlng each drum at its normal speed comprising a set of differential gearing connected todirectly drive two shafts and perfer'ential at a hi her speed, whereby said mit either of the drums to slowdown under 'I excessive strain, and means for automatically driving the slowed drum positively and individually and independently of the differential gearing at a lower speed than normal.

4.' In a continuous wire drawing machine,

Ithe combination with the drawing-throughthe combination with a setv of rotary wire handling devices and the same number of separate shafts, each having means for positively driving one of said devices, certain of said shafts being located end to end, a set ofV differential gearing connected with the adjacent ends-of each two of said-shafts so locatedv as to drive both of them normally ual predetermined'speeds, lbut capable at v e of owing either of them to slow up when excessive resistance is applied to it, without interrupting the rotation of the other shaft bythe differential, and means for automatically taking up the driving of the slowed shaft and driving it positively and independently of the dierential as long as the resistance continues to act.

6. 'In a wire working machine, the combination withva' pair of separate' shafts arranged end to end, 'and rotary devices for handling and advancing a wire continuously, 'a third shaft, `means for driving the third shaft positively, a gear loose lon each of saidseparate shafts, a differential connected withI said shafts, means connected with the third shaft for driving said gears and for driving-said differential at a` higher speed, whereby said shafts will be driven by the differential normally and positively, and means connected with said gearsfor picking up and positively driving their respective shafts atja lower speed, whenever they encounter abnormal resistance.

7. In a continuous rolling mill, the combination. with a plurality of pairs of rolls arranged in series, a shaft geared to drive both rolls of each pair positively, a set of differential gearing connected with said shafts to drive them normally at predeterminedl speeds, but capable of allowing either of them to slow up when excessive resistance is applied to it, without interrupting the rotation of the other by the differential, and means for automatically driving the slowed shaft positively and independently of the differential and of the others of said separate shafts.

8. In a wire working machine, the combination of a pair of rotary devices for handling .a wire in a continuous manner, a separate shaft for driving each of said devices positively, a third shaft, means for driving .the third shaft positively, agear loose on each of said separate shafts, adifferential connected with saidl' shafts, a gear for driving the differential, two equal gears on the third shaft for driving said loose gears, a larger gear on the third shaft for driving said differential at a higher speed, whereby said shafts will be driven by the differential normally and positively, and means connected with said gears for picking up and positively driving their respective shafts at a lower speed, whenever they encounter abnormal resistance.

9. In a continuous wire working machine, the combination with a plurality off rotary wire handling devices and the same number of separate shafts arranged in pairs located end to end, each shaft having means for positively driving one of said devices, a single set of differential gearing positively connected to .the adjacent ends of each pair of said shafts arranged to drive them normally at equal predetermined speeds, but

capable of allowing either of them to slow up when excessive resistance is applied to it, without interrupting the rotation of the other shaft by the differential, a gear loose on each shaft of each pair having normally inoperative means for automatically taking up the driving of the slowed shaft and driving it positively independently of the differential aslong as the resistance continues to act, a third shaft, two gears on the third shaftvforl driving each pair of separate shaftsand a third gear on the third shaft connected to drive the differential positively at'a'higher speed.

10. In a wire working machine, the combination of a plurality of rotary devices for handling a single length of wire and delivering it from one to another in a continuous manner, a plurality of pairs of separate shafts each pair connected to drive two of said devices positively, a gear loose on each shaft of said pair of separate shafts, a single differential connected with both of said shafts and comprising a third gear, means for drivingsaid loose gears positively, means for driving said differential gear at a lhigher speed, and means connected with said loose gears for picking up and positively driving their respective shafts therefrom at a lower speed, whenever said separate shafts meet resistance enough to slow them down through the differential.

ll. In a wire working machine, the combination of a plurality of rotary devices for handling a single length of wire and delivering it from one to another in a continuous manner, a plurality of pairs of separate shafts, each pair connected to drive two of. said devices positively, a gear loose on each shaft of said pair of separate shafts, and a single differential connected with both of said shafts.

12. In a continuous wire working machine, the combination with a plurality of rotarywire handling devices and the same number of separate shafts arranged in pairs located end to end, each shaft having means for positively driving one of said devices, and a single set of differential gearing-positively connected to the adjacent ends of each pair of said shafts arranged to drive them normally at equal predetermined tively connected to the adjacentcnds o1 them to slow up when excessive resistance is applied to it, without interrupting the rotlation of the other shaft by the differentia lfn testimony whereof if' have hereunto affixed my signature.

^ CHARLES n. osLUNn. 

